5 Rules to Help You Tackle Clutter This Spring

Spring is just around the corner (hopefully!) here in Calgary which means many people are starting to get spring fever and geared up to tackle their spring cleaning. Spring is such a refreshing time of the year and an important time to remember that physical clutter creates mental clutter-something nobody wants.

These 5 guidelines will help you clear the clutter from your home in a straightforward manner.

There is a place for everything.

A common thought among professional organizers and super organized individuals is that everything in your home should have a place. If you don’t have a place, or can’t find one for an item-do you really need it in your life? When you know exactly where anything you are looking for in your home is, it creates a more relaxed environment with less stress and you’ll spend far less time searching for lost items.

You have two choices: love it or lose it.

In our years assisting with relocations, estate sales, storage and more we’ve heard a ton of different reasons that people hold onto items. Some are logical, some are sentimental and some we don’t understand. A general rule of thumb when decluttering is if you haven’t used or worn something in the last 6 months to a year, you don’t love it. If you would buy that item today from a store, if the answer is no it’s time for it to go. If something no longer fits you, or your home in terms of size, and style its time to lose it. Take it a step further and use the love it or lose it rule when making purchases too. If you’re only buying items, you really love you’ll have less clutter to clear when the time comes!

Ditch the multiples.

Everyone has something they have multiples of. It could be a drawer full of old cell phones, or glasses or multiple spatulas in the kitchen. Whatever the item or items may be that you own multiples of, it’s time to say goodbye to some of them. These multiple items all perform the same function and, when not in use, just clutter up your home.

Maybe is not the same as yes.

When starting to declutter, many people become fearful. How many times have you held onto something because you MIGHT need it in the future? Maybe it’s an old sweatshirt or a roasting pan you’ve never used. It’s important to push the fear away and not allow it to scare you into keeping things you don’t need. If you haven’t used these items for at least 6 months, or never have it’s time for them to go.

Add decluttering to your regular to-do list.

It’s nearly impossible to not accumulate more stuff. During the year, try to declutter in small amounts at a time. If you have items that are valuable, sell them to make some extra money or donate items that you feel can be of use to others. Decluttering a little at a time makes the process less overwhelming and increases your comfort in doing it. Plus, when spring rolls around you won’t have to spend days on end decluttering the entire house.

When decluttering you may come across a variety of items that you need or want to keep but simply don’t have space for. Contact Crate It Storage to have our reusable storage solutions delivered to your door and picked up once you’ve packed your items away!